1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system in which an external image processing controller and an image forming apparatus can perform an image process in cooperation with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, power saving has been needed to an image forming apparatus. Consequently, an active power supply control function has been incorporated in the image forming apparatus. For example, an external power supply off function such as a remote shutdown function or the like for externally turning off the power supply of the image forming apparatus has been provided.
Incidentally, in case of collectively stopping a plurality of devices in units of groups by the remote shutdown function, it is then needed to collectively start the plurality of devices in units of groups. Here, a technique of, in an image processing system in which an image forming apparatus and an image processing controller (print server) are properly combined with each other, collectively starting the image forming apparatus and the image processing controller has been proposed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-036318). More specifically, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-036318 discloses the function of, when a start instruction is transmitted to the external image processing controller, linking and starting the image forming apparatus connected to the external image processing controller.
As described above, heretofore, in a case where a power supply switch is turned on by a user or a power supply start instruction is issued through a network (remote on), it is possible to collectively start the external image processing controller and the image forming apparatus and return the power states thereof from a low power sleep state.
Meanwhile, there is a case where the external image processing controller is used not to perform printing but to perform only a typesetting operation. In this case, there is a use case where only the external image processing controller is turned on.
However, in the existing technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-036318, since the start instruction is unconditionally issued to the image forming apparatus when the power supply switch of the external image processing controller is turned on, the image forming apparatus is inevitably turned on. For this reason, since it is impossible to achieve the use case as described above, a problem of wasteful power consumption in the unused image forming apparatus occurs.